𝑨 𝑺𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔
A Subtle Sadness is the first novel in the Frank Hunter trilogy OWN GOAL- a game of three halves. It is a rigorous exploration of Scottish Identity and the impact on it of the key Scottish obsessions of politics, football, religion, sex and alcohol.
The novel focuses on the family and personal history of Frank Hunter, a sad Scotsman with a self-destruct streak enormous even by normal West of Scotland male standards. Frank Hunter is a product of Scotland’s unique contribution to mixed marriage, with a Protestant father and Catholic mother. A man of considerable talents, in both football and politics, he brings a peculiarly Scottish approach to the application of those talents.
A Subtle Sadness is also the story of a 100-year fight for Scottish Home Rule, from 1890 to 1990, as told by Mary Ewing, active in Scottish politics since 1910. A Subtle Sadness is a rich multi-layered tapestry covering a century of Scottish social, cultural and political highlights, with disasters and triumphs aplenty, culminating in Glasgow’s emergence in 1990 as European City of Culture.
Key events covered include the Scottish Convention of 1948; four key Gorbals By Elections, 1908, 1948, 1969 and 1982; the 1979 Devolution Referendum victory/defeat debacle; and the impact of Thatcherism on Scotland’s industrial base.
It embraces the Gorbals Monster Hunt; the desegregation of Glasgow University Union; service in the Tartan Army and the death in action of Jock Stein; and love, marriage and relationships in modern Scotland. The book also covers the Ibrox Disaster of 1971; the less fatal disasters of Wembley 1961 and Argentina 1978; and the triumphs of Lisbon 1967, Wembley 1967, Barcelona 1972 and West Germany 1974.
As one reviewer put it
“Frank Hunter’s story is a memorable and haunting one. Yet although A Subtle Sadness is a reflection on sadness and depression, and the Scottish male capacity for self-destruction, it is ultimately an uplifting account of the Scottish capacity for positive thought and deed.
It deserves to be read by everyone seeking to understand Scottish character and identity in these turbulent times. An essential Scottish primer”
John Keeman author of “In the Shadow of the Crane”
